


Growing Up

by JRaylin441



Series: Briareus [19]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: But not that much, F/M, Gen, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, There's some angst in this, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7270753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JRaylin441/pseuds/JRaylin441
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Al comes home when he hears about the engagement, only to come to a startling realization about his brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Up

When Ed had written to Al in Xing to tell him that he and Winry were engaged, Al’s first reaction had been amusement (because _finally_ ). He didn’t even pretend at surprise, a fact that angered his older brother. But really, it wasn’t like everyone else in the entire world hadn’t seen it coming years ago.

The important thing was that Al was happy for them. Really, earnestly happy for the both of them.

* * *

“Brother!” Al sprinted across the train station and threw himself at his brother, who stumbled under the force of the hug but did not fall. Al sighed happily into Ed’s shoulder. After a moment, they pulled apart and started walking side-by-side up the path toward the Rockbell’s house. It had been months since they’d seen each other, and for a moment Al just reveled in the feeling of being back in the place he had considered home for so many years. At his brother’s side.

“How has everything been, Al?” And Ed was looking at him in that way he always had. The way that let Al know he was honestly interested in listening to anything that Al considered exciting enough to tell. For the rest of the walk, Al talked on and on about his research and the friends he had made, secure in the knowledge that Ed was not getting bored or distracted. Someone like that was difficult to find.

Al was reaching a particularly good part of the story (or, at least, he thought so. His hands were waving through the air and he had lost control of the volume of his voice, which was always enough to ensure that Ed would pay maximum attention.), as they crested the top of the final hill. Al heard a female voice call his name, and looked up to see Winry running full-tilt toward him. Her hug was warm and familiar and, for a moment, Al was so content he felt like he might burst.

“Hey Win. Didja finish the pie?” Ed was grinning down at Winry.

“Sure did. If you boys hurry, we can eat some before Den knocks it off the table.” She flashed Al another grin and hopped up on her toes, dropping a feather-light kiss onto Ed’s cheek. He flushed a deep red and glanced away.

“Better hurry then.” Al broke the silence. Winry agreed, grabbing Ed’s hand in one of hers and Al’s in the other and tugging them the rest of the way down the hill.

Al never did get to finish that part of his story.

* * *

Dinner that night was all of Al’s old favorites, and he took another moment to be thankful for the family that he still had. Conversation was scarce in the beginning, as Al had missed lunch that day, and Ed was Ed, but as the night wore down they slowed their consumption and started talking. Granny Pinako asked Al all about his travels, and he happily told the stories. Ed and Winry listened too, for the most part, but Al couldn’t help but notice their wandering attention. Every now and then he would look up to find them huddled in their own quiet conversation, whispering so that it wouldn’t disturb the others present.

It shouldn’t have disturbed Al.

For the most part, though, Al was still surrounded with his little bubble of happiness, and he lazily spooned up the last of his apple pie while he talked on about just what made his current research so revolutionary.

When they moved out to the front porch for the rest of the night, to while away the last dregs of sunlight, Al _did not_ notice that Winry was sitting beside Ed, on the front porch step. It used to be that she would sit in the big rocking chair behind him, the better position to prod him in the back when he said something stupid.

Besides, it wasn’t like that was _Al’s spot_. Who had ever heard of assigned seats on a front porch?

* * *

When Ed and Al had first begun their quest for the philosopher’s stone, Al had been a naïve kid. He used to sit up at night and waste away the hours imagining what it would be like when they finally reached their goal. At the time, Al had been a lump of steel, unable to express emotions. So the fantasy had been limited to what Ed could express. He had pictured the entire thing in excruciating detail. How Ed would cradle the stone in his palms like a soap bubble. So fragile and unexpected that he worried a stray breath might shatter it. And he had pictured the smile that would come next. A victorious, giddy thing that would spread across Ed’s face like frosting on a cake. He had pictured how the gold in his older brother’s eyes would become a raging fire as the hope he hadn’t allowed himself before that moment would spring to life. How Ed would look like a man who had been gifted a taste of nirvana.

That night, just before the Rockbells and the Elrics stumbled off to bed, Ed kissed Winry goodnight. It was a chaste thing, as they were in front of others. But he cradled her head between his palms like a soap bubble. And when pulled away, there was a smile that spread across his face like frosting on a cake, giddy and victorious.

* * *

Al spent the entire next day in a state of confused irritation. Every time Ed didn’t listen to a story. Every time Ed took a moment to focus entirely on Winry. It wasn’t like they spent all of their time focused on each other, but somehow the private moments had reached out and tainted all of the accompanying ones. For reasons he could not explain, he felt his ire steadily increasing as the day went on.

And Ed. Ed used to notice whenever Al was angry. Even when Al was stuck inside a suit of armor and unable to visibly express his emotions, Ed had known and pulled him aside to talk about it when everything became too much.

Now Ed was talking to Winry in laughing little whispers while Al looked on, fuming.

Ed did not notice.

* * *

Al went to bed with a head full of denial, but by the time he woke up, acceptance had seeped it way into his core.

He was jealous.

Not so much of Ed. And not so much of Winry. Technically. He in no way wanted his older brother to kiss him or to stare at him like he was a fragile little soap bubble. It was just that there had been a time when he and Ed had been the entirety of each other’s world. There had been a time when Al was the only one who could be counted on to have his brother’s back in a fight.

And now Ed had Winry.

One half of their once-inseparable duo had suddenly found a new sun to orbit. Had left Al’s universe entirely. And while he occasionally swung by for a visit, it was time for Al to accept that his older brother was growing up.

This was normal. This was what they had fought for over all the years. The chance to be normal and live the kind of life that everyone wanted to have.

So Ed stood on the train platform and hugged his little brother. And Al pressed his face into his brother’s shoulder and shoved back any silly tears that were thinking of making an appearance. Because it was not fair of him to show these emotions to Ed. Ed would break it off in a second if Al let on to his distress.

This was what was supposed to happen. Hopefully, in a few years, Al would have his own sun to orbit.

But as he climbed onto the train, he watched his brother get tugged back to the gravity of his fiancée. And he felt very much alone, for the first time since he could remember; an isolated comet hurtling through deep space.


End file.
